Let's live together: secrets of teamwork

Happiness is the key to success

A happy and satisfied crew is the key to success on any sailing trip. Even if something goes wrong in the process, this is just another test for the close-knit team. Things are a little different on a boat, where people are unhappy and exhausted: even a small problem turns into a real threat to the well-being of the crew. 

Participants in numerous regattas, especially transatlantic or around the world, often talk about this. These yachtsmen know better than others how important a stable emotional state is on the sea or ocean. For you, as a skipper, this most stable state of the team should be your first priority. 

But how to achieve coordinated work and good health of each crew member? Do you need to control everyone with a strong hand? Or give them the freedom to do whatever they want? We will talk about this in this material.

Casual travel companions and lifelong companions

Today, thanks to the Internet, finding a crew for a cruise is easy. You are just a couple of clicks away from potential partners. Alas, this is a lottery in its purest form: you never know what qualities this guy from the forum or that girl who wrote to you on Instagram has. 

In any case, you need to approach the choice of team carefully and carefully, because it would be nice for the captain to maintain a stable emotional state, right? In the case of online crew selection, it is difficult to give any advice other than to first meet with the person and chat before going on a cruise. Even better is to go on a test swim for a day or two. Who knows, maybe you will find a new best friend, or maybe you will learn an important life lesson that you are not yet aware of.

If we are talking about loved ones who are going sailing together for the first time, we recommend being patient. Such travel can both further strengthen the connection between you and aggravate existing problems. Fortunately, in most cases, yachting has a beneficial effect on family ties.

Why this lyrical digression? To remind you of one of the main principles of a sailor - prepare for the worst, believe in the best. This way you will avoid moral ordeals about your crew and the mismatch of your expectations from the cruise. Whether it is a close person or a random fellow traveler is absolutely not important. The important thing is that you are one team on board, which must work harmoniously and, preferably, eliminate any conflicts at the stage of their origin.

Limited personal space

The main stress factor on a yacht is a confined space with no opportunity to get away from annoying people nearby. The situation becomes a little simpler if you do not make a long sea crossing, but periodically go ashore. However, every crew member needs to be prepared for life in conditions of limited personal space. 

Be attentive to each other, be prepared to compromise. This is the only way you can avoid scandals and other troubles. Limited space will be a challenge even for a family consisting of parents and one child. It may seem that the family is already used to living together, but on a yacht you won’t be able to go out for a walk after a quarrel or barricade yourself in the bathroom.  

The most important thing is to hear each other. The sea, even if you are on a coastal cruise, is a test for the crew. For some reason, many people ignore the importance of the psychological aspect of travel. And in vain! There should be a peaceful and calm environment on board, in which each crew member is busy with his own business. 

Coordinate your team

As a skipper, you have already prepared yourself mentally and decided not to have any illusions about this journey. But what about the team? It is important to have an open and honest conversation with them. Explain what you expect from the team and listen to their wishes. It would be nice to have general rules of behavior on board. 

Also find out all the details regarding work hours, rest and leisure time. Find out who wants to do what at a specific time, and what plans other team members have. If you are going on a friendly trip, then distribute responsibilities and decide where exactly you would like to go. 

Pay special attention to using the Internet. Let's say you have Starlink. How will you use it? Will you only use it as a navigation and weather tool? Or will you actively use social networks? Regulate the use of the Internet on board the yacht so that its use does not interfere with the cruise.

Food for everyone

Today, galleys increasingly resemble professional kitchens, where you can cook anything. The cooking process has become not only easier, but also more enjoyable. However, one thing remains the same - food is an excellent reason for a showdown. 

Someone left a perishable product in a warm place and it spoiled, someone forgot to wash the plate, someone did not soak a pot or pan, someone left the door of the cabinet with knives open... There can be an infinite number of reasons for dissatisfaction. To avoid such problems, it is important to establish clear rules of conduct in the galley. 

Gastronomic preferences of crew members can also become a bone of contention. Some people don’t like fried meat, and some people don’t like soups - it’s important to find an average option that everyone will like. If certain eating habits are formed due to a person’s illness, then this is a different story. 

Allergies, lactose intolerance and other diseases will require adaptation of your menu. Make sure that the allergic person's food does not come into contact with potentially hazardous food from other crew members, and that the lactose intolerant person does not accidentally drink cow's milk instead of soy milk. There are times when the entire crew will have to give up some food item in their diet due to an allergy sufferer on board. This also happens. And this is an absolutely correct and healthy reaction: this is how the team enters into the position of one of its members and supports him.

These are all just examples of things to look out for. In real conditions, everything can be much simpler. 

Rest, rest and more rest!

Another important aspect of an enjoyable cruise with crew is relaxation. Both group and personal recreation play an important role in creating a good mood in the team. The main criterion is the quality of this holiday. Everything here is also very, very individual. 

Some people sleep for six hours and that’s enough for them, but there are people for whom even nine hours of sleep is not enough. This can all be a source of disagreement, but as a skipper you have to find the middle ground. 

A team vacation together is an excellent opportunity to get to know each other better (if you have known each other for a short time) and get to know a person from the other side (in the case of loved ones). Try to choose a type of leisure activity that everyone would enjoy. And even if someone isn't excited about board games, it's important that he or she still attends with the rest of the team.

Another very important question: what sea voyage did you go on? Do you leisurely walk along the beaten path and stop every 6 hours? Do you have active sailing for 10 hours a day? Depending on this, you can build rest and watch schedules. On a slow cruise, especially with constant stops and at anchor at night, it is easier to organize a watch system, which cannot be said about long sea crossings.

Disagreement and confrontation

The most unpleasant thing that can happen on board during a cruise is scandals. Sometimes they cannot be avoided, and sometimes the crew stoically tolerates each other until the end of the journey, only to then go ashore in horror and forget all the incidents like a bad dream. 

As a skipper, you must act as a voice of common sense. Listen to the participants in the quarrel, help them resolve their differences peacefully. Of course, the skipper can shrug off the problem and simply move the bullies to different sides of the yacht. But how much fun will there be from such a cruise?

Most conflicts can be prevented before going to sea. Clearly explain to each crew member their role, emphasize the importance of chain of command and that the skipper always has the final say. However, there is no need to become a tyrant - after all, no one drags people on board by force. 

Go meet the team

As the first section of this material says: “Happiness is the key to success.” And indeed it is. Joint recreation, small pleasant surprises, even joint planning - all this is the key to team trust. 

Involve the crew in discussions regarding the route, plan your vacation together, go shopping together. These seemingly small things will help bring the team together and demonstrate to them that teamwork doesn't start and end with the deck.

It’s also not worth going to extremes: you don’t have to do the forecastle sailor’s work for him. But it is not recommended to distance yourself from the team. Maintain a balance between good relationships within the team and chain of command on board the yacht. 

Naturally, if your team is your close relatives, then things are a little different. In this case, your chain of command on board will be different from what you are used to on shore. For example, in a family, the mother-in-law or father-in-law may play the dominant role on land, but at sea the one with more sailing experience will be in charge. This should be discussed immediately even before relatives set foot on board.

Instead of a conclusion

There is a strict hierarchy on board for a reason. Fortunately for us, on board cruise yachts and catamarans it is somewhat less rigid than in the merchant fleet or during round-the-world regattas. But there is still a hierarchy. 

The question of leadership on a yacht is more a question of responsibility than any kind of complete power. The skipper may be the main one on board, but he also bears full responsibility: for the lives of the crew, for the safety of the boat and equipment. A true skipper must realize that leading a team is a difficult job. This is real work, which is in many ways more difficult than directly controlling a yacht or catamaran. 

Coordinating a team and creating a unified mechanism that will clearly perform its role can sometimes be an overwhelming task. And this is not always the fault of the skipper himself. It may well be that, under the leadership of a good, experienced skipper, a team of people has gathered who cannot stand each other, which will interfere with an enjoyable cruise. The skipper’s task is to try to bring harmony and calm on board even in the most unpleasant situation. 

Leave all your worries on the shore. The sea has its own challenges.

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02.03.2024